Say Something
by Tegan M. Fowler
Summary: Alternate excerpts from Mockingjay. Katniss/Johanna pairing. Joniss. Rated T for possible future submissions. In the process of adding several new chapters, enjoy! -TMF
1. Chapter 1

Katniss watched her feet move underneath her as she hurried down the corridor of the hospital wing. Haymitch had told her both Peeta and Johanna would be available for visitors as soon as possible but she couldn't wait any longer. His fault for thinking she would listen to orders.

She stopped short of the door and took a deep breath before crossing the threshold. Peeta lay still on the mattress, attached to several blinking and beeping machines. His skin looked gray, as if he hadn't seen sunlight in several weeks, and his face was covered in dark bruises. Two nurses were bent over his leg, talking in hushed tones when she made eye contact.

"Excuse me, this room is off-limits to visitors," the first nurse barked. She squinted her eyes as Katniss strode further into the room. Her expression softened after realizing it was Katniss. The nurse grimaced briefly before grabbing the arm of the other nurse and backing away from the bed. "You have five minutes, Everdeen. That's it." She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her, giving Katniss some privacy.

Katniss approached Peeta's sleeping body and got a closer look at her fiancé. She took his hand in hers and sat on the edge of the bed. His hands felt cold and rough in comparison to hers. She watched him sleep, observing his chest rise and fall with every labored breath. She eventually stood and kissed him gently on the forehead before whispering, "I'm sorry." She placed his hand back on the bed and left the room, silently closing it behind her.

She walked across the hallway to Johanna's room. The door was shut with the window half covered by the blinds, but Katniss could still see Johanna's frail body on the hospital mattress. Peeta appeared to be in perfect condition compared to Johanna. Her skin was broken in several spots along her thin arms, wrapped in thick white gauze bandages. Wires and blinking machines were attached to her bony fingers which lay by her sides. Unlike Peeta, Johanna was awake with her eyes drifting tiredly around the room. She caught sight of Katniss and smiled the tiniest bit before tilting her head back on her pillow. Katniss smiled to herself as she watched Johanna's middle finger feebly point toward her. Johanna grinned and looked at Katniss once more before falling back asleep.

. . . .


	2. Chapter 2

- Two weeks later, Johanna has become Katniss's roommate in District 13. -

- Haymitch just broke the news that Peeta hasn't recovered. He says Peeta will remain in a vegetative state as a result of his continuous torture in the capitol. -

Haymitch's words rang in her ears and she felt her anger rising. She could feel the bitter taste of it at the back of her throat. Haymitch looked at her expectantly from across the room as she spit out, "You promised." She felt her teeth clench and suddenly she was overwhelmed with emotion. Haymitch shrugged his shoulders as tears welled in his piercing blue eyes. Katniss launched herself at him, grabbing his throat in both hands. "You promised me! You fucking promised me! You said that he would be the one to get out!" Suddenly Katniss felt a pair of hands pulling her arms behind her back, effectively immobilizing her. She shrieked in anger and struggled against Johanna who held on tighter than before. Haymitch breathed heavily while clutching his throat that was now blossoming with finger-shaped bruises. Katniss suddenly felt hyperaware of Johanna's breathing in her ear. "Get out, Katniss. Let's get some air," Johanna growled. Haymitch shook his head slightly as he continued to hold his throat.

Johanna didn't let go of Katniss's arms until they were in the room again. She pushed her away from her and turned to lock the door. Katniss stumbled forward and caught herself on the edge of her bed before turning around to face Johanna.

"What the _hell_ were you doing?" Johanna spat out, eyes still flashing with anger.

"I was angry!" Katniss began.

"We're all angry!" Johanna yelled back. "Don't you think this affects us too?"

Katniss shook her head angrily before arguing, "You don't understand. I made Haymitch promise me months ago that Peeta was our priority. He swore to me that Peeta would make it out instead of me."

"You think he just let this happen, Katniss? Haymitch did everything that he possibly could. Once Peeta was in the capitol it was out of his hands. He had to stand by and hope that Peeta was strong enough to get out alive." Johanna paused to take a breath before continuing, "And let me tell you, it destroyed him to watch Peeta get ripped apart like that. Before you two came along, he had no one; he watched tributes get slaughtered for years before he found you…and you two gave him hope. Blaming him for Peeta's condition is one hell of a way to repay him for all the shit he's done for you!"

Katniss exclaimed, "I was angry! Haymitch promised to save Peeta instead of me…and now Peeta is gone. No matter how hard we tried I still fucking lost him."

"For fuck's sake Katniss, you're not the only person who's lost someone!" Johanna roared as she threw her blankets to the foot of her bed. Katniss wheeled around and opened her mouth to retort as Johanna cut her off, "No, fuck you, don't start with me." Katniss closed her mouth and looked Johanna in the eyes before letting her continue. "Haymitch lost his family, his fiancé, his everything. Finnick physically still has Annie but mentally she's as good as gone," Johanna slumped onto the edge of the bed and pulled her knees up to her chin. "I lost everyone. The games…the capitol…they ruined us…all of us. Don't you see that? None of us are ever going to be okay," she sighed and rubbed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets. Her voiced sounded strained as she said, "I tried, Katniss. In those cells in the capitol I tried to hold him together, to keep him sane. I did it for you…but it wasn't enough. I couldn't save him."

Katniss felt her breath catch in the back of her throat as she felt the walls that Johanna had built around herself come down. Johanna took a shaky breath and wrapped her arms around her knees. She sniffed once before clearing her throat and saying, "You have your family, and Gale, Haymitch and me..." Her voice trailed off as she looked Katniss in the eyes. Katniss slowly walked to the edge of the bed and Johanna leaned forward. She rested her head against Katniss's chest as Katniss put her arms around her. Katniss felt Johanna's tears soak through her shirt as she rubbed soothing circles into her back. She brought one arm up to smooth Johanna's hair before mumbling, "I know, I'm sorry" into her hair and resting her lips on top of Johanna's head.

Johanna stiffed slightly and pulled away from Katniss. As Katniss backed away, she turned around and began rearranging the blankets on her bed, clearly she was no longer in the mood to talk. She curled up on her side facing the wall and pulled the blankets up over her head before reaching out and turning off her light.

Katniss quickly changed and climbed into bed, her head still reeling with today's range of emotions. She turned off her light and muttered, "Good night." She rolled over in the dark and spent the night analyzing everything Johanna had told her.

. . . .


	3. Chapter 3

Katniss tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Sighing heavily, she rolled onto her back and lay staring at the ceiling. In the bed next to her she could hear Johanna's uneven breathing and twitching. She rolled onto her side and watched Johanna dream, knowing it was undoubtedly a nightmare. Within minutes, Johanna began to groan and jerk violently before suddenly screaming out, "I know nothing! I know nothing!"

Katniss sprang up as Johanna sat up in bed, sweat plastering her dark hair to her forehead. Her breathing was heavy as Katniss put out a hand and tried to calm her.

"It's okay, you were dreaming again," Katniss said softly, reaching for Johanna's hand in the dark.

Johanna took a few moments before saying, "Shit…sorry I woke you." She felt Katniss's hand encompass hers, enjoying the feeling of warmth coming from her skin.

Katniss sat on the edge of the bed in silence continuing to hold Johanna's hand. She waited patiently for Johanna's breathing to settle down, rubbing small circles on the back of her hand. Johanna finally calmed down enough to start breathing normally between sniffs. Although Katniss couldn't see her in the dark room, she knew that Johanna had been crying. She reached up Johanna's shoulder and trailed her fingertips up her neck, continuing further along her face to wipe tears from her cheeks. Johanna let out a shaky breath and slumped her head forward, tears continuing to stream down her face. Katniss waited on the edge of the bed until the tears finally stopped several minutes later. She let her hand run down the side of Johanna's face and further down her arm. She gave Johanna's hand a slight squeeze before letting go and turning around to go back to bed.

"Katniss?" Johanna's voice was still raspy from sleep.

Katniss turned to face her and asked, "Yeah?"

Johanna paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and quietly asking, "Can you stay with me?"

Katniss smiled in the dark and climbed into Johanna's bed, nudging her over to make room. She pulled the covers over the both of them as Johanna drew her back closer to Katniss. Katniss wrapped her arms around Johanna and closed her eyes, breathing in the subtle smell of her shampoo. She could Johanna softly sigh before mumbling, "Just don't take all the blankets, okay Brainless?"

She laughed quietly and put her head down on Johanna's pillow before whispering, "I promise."

They lay in silence for a few minutes before Johanna spoke again, "I'm sorry about Peeta…I never said that earlier."

Katniss shook her head and shushed Johanna before burrowing her head into the back of Johanna's neck. "I'm sorry about the way I reacted. I should've realized…" her voice trailed off in the darkness as she tried to find words.

"Shh. It's okay. Just…stay with me," Johanna yawned.

And Katniss pulled her arms tighter around Johanna before finally falling asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Johanna woke up early the next morning. She lay on her side with Katniss's arms around her listening to the sound of her breathing. After a few minutes she slowly pulled forward, letting Katniss's arms fall softly on the bed. She stood up and stretched her sore muscles before getting dressed for the day.

Ever since her arrival in 13 everyone pretty much left her alone to do what she wanted throughout the day. Katniss was the one they were concerned with…after all she was their Mockingjay. The others didn't want to push Johanna after her torture in the capitol, they thought she was still too unstable and weak. Johanna hated nothing more than being treated like a kicked puppy. Despite their indifference towards her, Johanna still trained as much as possible throughout the day in order to regain whatever strength she had before the Quarter Quell. She gave one last look at Katniss on the bed before locking the door behind her and heading down to train.

The training facility was stocked with weapons of all kinds, mainly to prepare for any kind of attack that the rebels might encounter. She walked into the dimly lit facility and grabbed her favorite axe. It felt heavier than she was used to but she still turned it over in her hands and started to swing it through the air, regaining her confidence with every _swoosh_ of the blade. After a few minutes of adjusting to the weight, she took her place in front of a training mannequin. She took a few deep breaths and then began to attack, hacking the axe into various areas of the torso, making her way towards the head and neck. She began to feel the exhaustion weighing on her and used her last blow to slice straight through the top of the head, feeling the blade embed itself almost all the way through to the neck. Johanna left the axe in place and took a step back to look at her handiwork. She rested her hands on her knees and felt sweat dripping down her back. After resting for a few moments she then made her way over to the knife range in the back corner. She picked the first set knives and took her stance in front of the target. After the first three missed the target entirely, Johanna gritted her teeth and forced herself to focus. Her energy was already starting to wither, which only made her angry. She used to go through hours of rigorous training and feel nothing until the next morning, now she was lucky if she could get through one hour of moderate activity. Muttering "Fucking Snow" under her breath, she retrieved her knives and took her stance again, this time hitting the bulls-eye with all but one knife. She smirked slightly at the target and felt an overwhelming surge of confidence. She strode over to the target and gathered the knives when she heard the door to the training facility open. Johanna ducked down behind the knife rack and listened for footsteps. After a few seconds she heard a familiar voice call out, "Johanna?"

She came out from behind the knife rack, still clutching the smallest knife firmly in her fist. "What do you want?" she barked back gruffly.

Finnick came around the corner and gave his signature grin when he saw Johanna. He cheerfully walked over and said, "Well, well, well, good morning to you too."

Johanna glared at Finnick agitatedly and asked, "How did you know I was in here?" She took her stance by the target once more and focused on her footing.

Finnick snorted once and remarked, "The axe in that mannequin back there looked awfully familiar…" He then walked over to the knife rack and picked up a set before approaching the second target. He adjusted his stance before he began to attack the target precisely with each knife. Johanna watched the concentrated look on his face as he finished and then went to retrieve her own set from the target. Finnick quickly joined her and said, "You really think I wouldn't know it was you? C'mon Jo, how long have I known you?"

Johanna returned to her stance in front of the target and sarcastically replied, "Too fucking long," before throwing the set of knives again. This time she hit the bulls-eye with each knife. Finnick laughed as he watched her throw. "So what're you doing here, Fin? I thought your training doesn't start for another couple hours."

Finnick and Johanna both threw their knives in silence before he replied, "Couldn't sleep. I thought I'd come and let loose a little before the day starts." He looked at Johanna and noticed the dark circles under her eyes before he asked, "You?"

Johanna brushed a few sweaty strands of hair behind her ear and sighed, "Same I guess." She felt her arms aching and sat down on the mat, stretching her arms out behind her. Finnick finished throwing his last set before putting them away and sitting on his own mat. He watched her for a few minutes before she spoke again, "I finally slept last night." She turned her head and looked at Finnick. His bronze hair was perfectly tousled as usual and he looked exhausted.

He folded his legs under him and said, "It's about damn time. Did you take something?"

She smiled slightly before replying, "No, I just…finally felt comfortable."

He noticed the subtle look in her eyes and joked, "Oh yeah? And who made you feel so comfortable, Jo?"

Johanna whipped her head towards him and huffed, "Fuck off, Fin." She shook her hair out and started to braid it.

Finnick laughed and said, "Who'd have known that the big, bad, axe-slinging Johanna Mason would be scared of her own emotions?"

She reached over and punched him hard in the upper arm as she spat, "I'm terrified of _water_ for fuck's sake." Finnick rubbed the red mark growing on his arm and chuckled to himself as Johanna growled, "You know for someone that I love, I really fucking hate you."

Finnick threw his head back and laughed out loud before asking, "Have you talked to her about…?" His voice trailed off as he watched Johanna finish braiding her hair. Johanna shook her head fervently and wrapped an elastic around the end of her dark braid.

"She's just getting over bread boy," she muttered.

He replied, "You know she didn't have serious feelings for him." Johanna turned to glare at him before he hurriedly continued, "Sure she loved him as a brother or a family member, but it was never….you know…romantic or anything. He made that whole thing up to keep them alive in the games."

She sighed and said, "I know but…" her voiced faded into silence as she looked down at her hands, picking at the skin around her nails. She propped her arms behind her and leaned back before she continued, "I don't know that I can handle that…I'm scared." Finnick nodded his head sagely as she went on, "I went for years with no one. And that was fine with me! I didn't have to worry about losing someone…and now she's here and I…" She struggled to find words when Finnick finished, "…know you might lose her." Johanna nodded her head and chewed on her bottom lip. He continued on, "Everyone has to worry about that, Jo. You never know what's going to happen…and at some point you have to simply accept the fact that you're always going to be scared of losing that person…and then you need to realize that they're worth it. If you're not scared of losing them, then you don't really love them." Finnick pulled at a string on his shirt and avoided looking Johanna in the eyes.

She realized the impact of his words and remained silent for a few moments before nodding her head. "You're right," she finally said.

Finnick smiled at her briefly and said, "I like this side of you, Jo. I've never seen you this…I don't know…_dismantled_? Is that the word I'm looking for?" Johanna laughed once before shrugging her shoulders. He smiled again and said, "You've always been so stoic, so strong…it's weird to see you so soft and—"

"I'm _not_ soft!" she retaliated.

He laughed and moved to stand up. Quickly he reached over and lightly tugged on the end of her braid and joked, "Nice hairstyle…it looks familiar," before turning on his heel and walking out of the room saying, "See you, Jo."

Johanna brought her hands to her braid and realized the braid she had done almost an hour ago was identical to the one Katniss wore. She smiled to herself and casually replied, "Fuck you," before laughing. Finnick's laughter rang out in the empty facility before she heard the dull thud of the door close behind him.

. . . .


	5. Chapter 5

By the time Johanna got back to the room Katniss had already left for the day. Johanna knew she wouldn't be back until 5:30 at the earliest so she decided to try and sleep to pass the time. She quickly showered and got dressed after her early morning workout and then burrowed herself in the covers of her bed, finding that it still smelled faintly of Katniss. She smiled before she could stop herself and closed her eyes, trying to find rest. After several hours of tossing and turning, she finally got up and started absentmindedly cleaning the shared room. She had just started folding her laundry when she heard someone jiggling the lock on the other side of the door. The clock on the bedside table read 3:30, two hours before Katniss would be back. She froze, straining to hear who was on the other side of the door. As the lock jiggled again Johanna grabbed the knife she kept under her mattress. Gripping it tightly in her right hand, she soundlessly approached the door. The door to the room suddenly burst open and Katniss stumbled in. Her eyes grew wide as she locked in on the knife in Johanna's hand and a flicker of fear washed across her face.

"Holy shit, Katniss. You scared the hell out of me!" Johanna said, loosening her grip on the knife and lowering her arm to her side.

"I scared _you_? _You_ were the one wielding a knife at me!" Katniss exclaimed, throwing her backpack on the bed.

Johanna chuckled and asked, "How was I supposed to know you were going to be done early? That could've been anyone at the door." She lifted her mattress and put the knife back into place before continuing to fold her laundry. "Why're you done early anyways?" she inquired.

Katniss sat on the edge of Johanna's bed and started to help fold as she answered, "I didn't feel like staying. I'd rather be here than in the control room listening to Plutarch and everyone else ramble on about the next set of propos." Katniss continued to fold as she prattled on about the different scenarios that they had discussed for future propos. Johanna was surprised by how talkative Katniss was; she was typically quiet after coming back from the day. She nodded her head and added, "I see," at the right times while Katniss continued. After putting the laundry away, Katniss paused and looked around the room. Her eyebrows came together slightly as she asked, "Did you clean?"

Johanna scoffed slightly and muttered, "Yeah, so?"

Katniss shook her head and said, "Just wondering…it looks good in here."

Johanna rolled her eyes and lay down on the bed, folding her arms behind her head. She felt her hair still in the stiff braid from this morning. She smirked to herself as she looked at Katniss who wore the same braid.

Katniss was still griping about the day's events as she moved around the room unpacking her bag. Her hair was just starting to fall out of her braid and she frequently blew pieces of hair out of her face. Johanna noticed little things about her that she hadn't seen before. Like the way that her hands moved as she talked animatedly and the delicate tendons that danced across her neck as she flitted around the room. She noted the room was quiet before realizing Katniss had asked her a question. "Sorry, what?" she asked, observing the bright look in her eyes.

Katniss snorted, "You okay there, Brainless? I asked if you wanted to go to dinner early, I'm starving."

Johanna sat up and replied, "Sure…but let's get one thing straight."

Katniss's eyebrows furrowed as she waited for Johanna to finish. Johanna waited a moment before saying, "You're Brainless…not me." She smirked as Katniss playfully scowled in her direction.

"Whatever you say, Jo. You ready?" Katniss asked.

Johanna turned to face the wall as she put on her shoes. She grinned at hearing Katniss use Finnick's old nickname for her. "Sure."

They came back from dinner a couple hours later. Katniss tossed her jacket on the floor and flopped down on the bed. "I know I have to shower but I'm way too fucking exhausted," she groaned.

Johanna laughed and replied, "No way, you definitely need to shower. I can smell you from here." She took off her shoes and lay down on her own bed before yawning.

Katniss groaned one last time before resigning, "Fine." She rolled off the bed and grabbed her towel before heading to the bathroom. She started the shower and flung her towel over the hook on the back of the bathroom door. As she turned around, she noticed Johanna changing in the next room through the crack in the door. She watched the way the muscles on her back moved and flexed as she shed her thin shirt and discarded it on the bed. Johanna shrugged her shoulders and then stretched both of her arms over her head, sending a ripple of muscles straight down her spine. She was certainly skinnier after her time spent in the capitol, but it was clear that her muscles were coming back. In the mirror, she could see Johanna's collar bones protruding from her neck. She looked over her body once more before she made eye contact with Johanna in the mirror. Panicked, Katniss instantly averted her eyes and climbed into the shower. She waited for the sound of the door closing, but it never came. Under the streaming hot water she thought about how petite Johanna appeared. Her personality was still gruff as ever yet her body was small, delicate even. In her mind, Katniss relived the moment she locked eyes with Johanna. She felt her cheeks flush with heat when she realized the hint of a smirk that was on Johanna's face for a fraction of a second before she turned away.

When Katniss got out of the shower, the lights were off in the room. She quietly tip-toed to her own bed and glanced at Johanna who was curled up under the covers. She was just pulling the blankets back from her own pillow when she heard a muffled voice ask, "Can you stay with me again?"

Katniss took a few moments before replying, "Yeah, sure," into the dark room. She climbed under the covers and found Johanna lying on her side. With her eyes closed, Johanna grudgingly admitted, "I sleep better when you're here." Katniss curled up to face Johanna and pulled the covers over both of their heads. Her knees bumped into Johanna's and her eyes fluttered open. After a few moments Katniss hesitantly reached out her hand to brush a few strands of hair from Johanna's face. Johanna felt Katniss's hand shake slightly as she pulled away. Katniss felt comforted by the feeling of Johanna's warmth radiating from her skin. Johanna sleepily smiled before closing her eyes and mumbling, "G'night Brainless."

In the dark, Katniss felt herself beaming before she could stop herself. She took a deep breath and whispered, "Night."

. . . .


	6. Chapter 6

Katniss woke up on her side with Johanna's arm draped over her waist. Her eyes sleepily blinked a few times as the numbers on the alarm-clock slowly came into focus. It was nearly six in the morning. She froze as she felt Johanna's arm tighten around her waist and pull her closer. Johanna sighed in her sleep and Katniss could feel the little hairs on the back of her neck sway back and forth with Johanna's breathing. She nestled her head under the covers and fell back to sleep.

Johanna woke up several hours later and noticed Katniss had turned over and was now nestled against her chest. Katniss murmured under her breath and Johanna strained to hear what Katniss was dreaming about. She distinctly heard Katniss mutter, "Don't…" before her voice stumbled into a stream of nonsense. Johanna tried her hardest not to laugh while Katniss quietly babbled in her sleep. She was just about to burst aloud when she heard Katniss faintly utter her name. She froze with her eyes wide in disbelief as Katniss sighed deeply and nuzzled her head further into Johanna's neck. Certain that Katniss was still asleep, she bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing. Her face broke open in a smile as she glanced down at the tangled mess that was Katniss's hair. She reached her free hand up and lightly stroked Katniss's hair before resting her hand on Katniss's waist.

Johanna lay perfectly still for almost an hour before Katniss began to stir. A series of quiet strangled sounds came from the back of Katniss's throat before she opened her eyes to see Johanna staring at her. She smiled briefly before sleepily groaning, "Morning." Johanna looked as if she had been awake for hours already. Katniss lazily closed her eyes before asking, "How long have you been awake?"

Johanna quietly replied, "I don't know, an hour maybe?" She glanced over Katniss's face and found her eyes drawn to Katniss's lightly chapped lips. She continued, "You talk in your sleep, you know that?"

Katniss's eyes shot open as she asked, "What?" in disbelief.

Johanna laughed before nodding her head smugly. Katniss felt a flicker of panic cross her face as she struggled to remember her dreams from earlier. Johanna said, "It was nothing bad, I promise. Just nonsense grumbling for the most part." Katniss felt her dreams coming back to her in fragments before Johanna added, "You said my name a few times." Katniss swallowed heavily as scenes from her dream replayed in her mind. One of her most recent dreams flashed before her eyes so vividly she could feel her cheeks flush brilliant red within seconds. Johanna chewed on her bottom lip as she said, "Dreaming about me, huh Brainless?"

Katniss tried to play it off casually and snorted before answering, "Only about suffocating you in your sleep." She felt the mattress shake with laughter and found herself staring at Johanna's lips as they pulled back to reveal a row of tiny white teeth. She struggled to bring her eyes back to Johanna's. There was a brief pause as they stared at each other's faces in the dim light of the morning. Katniss noticed a handful of long white scars that ran from Johanna's earlobe down to her collarbones. She reached out a hand to run her fingertips over them and heard Johanna inhale sharply. Katniss paused for a fraction of a second and then ran her fingers from Johanna's ear to her neck and back up again before looking Johanna in the eyes. Johanna froze, her eyes taking in the smallest details of Katniss's face…from the dusting of reddish brown freckles that covered her nose and cheeks to the small flecks of gold in Katniss's hazel eyes. She cleared her throat before answering Katniss's unspoken question, "I was in an accident…those are from years ago." Katniss's eyes flicked back to the scars that ran down Johanna's neck as she asked, "How old were you?" Katniss's eyebrows came together in concern as she waited for Johanna to respond. "I was helping my brother Adam in the woods when I fell out of the tree...he was fifteen, I was ten." She laughed without humor as she added, "I caught every damn thorn on the way down…we thought I'd hit the main artery. Mom nearly went crazy trying to stop the bleeding." Johanna's eyes grew distant as she started to explain, "That was the morning of the Reaping."

Katniss remembered Johanna's older brother being killed in the Hunger Games several years before she was chosen. She could faintly remember her mother's reaction when Johanna had been Reaped…her mother cried and shook her head in disbelief as the second Mason child stepped onto the stage. Adam Mason was the victim of an alliance gone brutal; mercilessly stabbed in his sleep while his allies split and went their separate ways. Johanna's eyes glazed over as memories overtook her. Katniss shook her head and put her finger to Johanna's lips to stop her from continuing.

Johanna took a shaky breath and then sighed before pulling Katniss's hand away from her mouth. She swallowed before continuing, "He was the reason my parents trained me. After sending him to the Games, they couldn't leave me unprepared. Mom went out the next day and got me my own axe. Every day it was the same routine; I'd train in secret in the woods with my dad before school and then at night mom would teach me survival skills." Katniss bit her bottom lip as Johanna explained. She knew that Johanna had won the games by pretending to be weak and then brutally killing her opponents with sheer strength by the end. She never knew why Johanna had always tensed up when her family was brought up in conversation in the past. Johanna didn't shed a single tear as she finished explaining, she was tired of crying. She steeled herself one last time before uttering, "The peacekeepers found out my parents were training me—it's illegal you know—so I was selected for the Games that year and both of them were shot in the town square as the train pulled away." Johanna paused for a moment and almost inaudibly added, "I didn't get to say my goodbyes."

Katniss felt her own tears soaking the pillowcase underneath her head. She swallowed back more tears before whispering, "I had no idea."

Johanna shook her head and replied, "I wanted you to know. You and Fin are the only ones I've told."

Katniss nodded and realized how much Johanna was different with her. Before Johanna had always seemed like a harsh and abrasive person, shutting everyone out to stay safe. Now she was starting to understand why Johanna was so disconcerting to everyone else. No one knew the kind of horrors she had experienced even before she entered the arena of the Hunger Games. Katniss shivered slightly as she recognized the fact that Johanna had only ever told one other person before her. Johanna waited silently for Katniss to make some kind of acknowledgment. Katniss just stared into her dark green eyes for several minutes before resting her palm on Johanna's cheek and sighing, "I guess we're both pretty fucked up, huh?"

Again Johanna laughed humorlessly and nodded before replying, "Yeah I guess so." Katniss felt hyperaware of Johanna's arm that was still draped over her waist. Something clicked inside her mind and suddenly the shared room didn't feel foreign, cramped, or uncomfortable. Katniss noticed that here in the comfort and safety of the blankets, she felt more at home than ever.

. . . .


	7. Chapter 7

Finnick Odair was sitting by himself in the dining hall when he noticed Johanna walking side by side with Katniss. They were obviously arguing over something, but Finnick couldn't hear what they were bickering about. Johanna's eyes darted around the room before she made eye contact with Finnick. He cheerfully waved and motioned for them to sit with him. The two finished grabbing their trays and headed over to the two empty seats across from Finnick.

"Fucking hell, Jo, can we just forget it?" Katniss asked exasperatedly.

"Fine by me," Johanna muttered, setting her tray down with more force than necessary.

Finnick's eyes flickered between the two of them as he playfully asked, "Trouble in paradise?"

Johanna and Katniss simultaneously barked, "Fuck off." They briefly glanced at each other for a few moments before Katniss broke down and chuckled to herself. "How's Annie?"

Finnick replied, "She's fine, just tired a lot lately. She rarely leaves the room." He smiled and his eyes crinkled at the corners. Katniss could see his love for Annie in his eyes…even the mere mention of her name left him beaming. Finnick chewed his food thoughtfully before his eyes widened. He swallowed quickly and announced, "I had the weirdest dream last night! You'll never guess who was in it, Jo."

Johanna looked at him warily and asked, "Who?"

He grinned wickedly and said, "Jaelyn O'Hare," his eyes twinkled mischievously as Johanna's eyes narrowed to slits. Katniss looked between the two of them before asking, "Who's that?"

Finnick looked pointedly at Johanna as she spluttered, "No one."

Katniss tentatively laughed before saying, "No, no, that's bullshit. C'mon who is she?"

Johanna set down her fork and glared at Finnick once more before admitting, "Just…a girl from a long time ago…I almost forgot about her actually." Finnick shook his head and faced Katniss before adding, "She was the one that got away…"in a singsong voice. Johanna retorted, "She did not get away, Fin, I decided to let her go."

Finnick laughed and exclaimed, "Bullshit! You played your game and it drove you crazy when she wanted nothing to do with you!"

Katniss expectantly looked back and forth between the two as her eyebrows came together in confusion. Johanna scowled at Finnick before offering an explanation. "You see, years ago we had to go to these ridiculous parties in the capitol a few times a year. So after being miserable for the first few years, we decided to make the parties into a game. We both had a 'target' that the other got to pick. First one to seduce their target won the game…" her voice trailed off as she let Katniss fill in the blanks herself. Finnick snorted and added, "Johanna won every damn year until Jaelyn…"

Katniss felt her curiosity rising as she asked, "You tried to seduce _girls_?"

Johanna laughed once before confidently remarking, "I didn't _try_, Brainless, I succeeded."

Finnick interrupted, "Except for Jaelyn."

Johanna set her fork down gently before replying, "You know, every other year I succeeded in seducing a girl faster than you could, okay? Does that say something?" Her voice was dangerously calm as she stared at Finnick who stared back in amusement.

Katniss coughed into her water glass and quietly asked, "So...I'm assuming Jaelyn shut you down?"

Finnick laughed out loud and chimed in, "Jaelyn was the only person to resist Jo…I've never seen anyone so disinterested!" His eyes gleamed as Johanna defiantly added, "She wasn't _disinterested_, I could've gotten her if I had actually been trying." Her eyes were bold as they stared directly at Finnick.

Katniss shook her head in amusement as she said, "I never took you for a womanizer, Jo."

Finnick said, "She was unstoppable, I'll tell you. It didn't matter who the target it was—man or woman—everyone was attracted to her. I don't know if it was because they were scared of her or in awe of her…"

Johanna smirked and cockily added, "Hopefully both." She pushed her tray away from her and rested her elbows on the table. She continued, "But Jaelyn was…I don't know…different I guess."

Finnick jested, "Oh just admit it, she was the one thing you couldn't have and that drove you crazy."

Johanna huffed and repeated, "I could have had her if I had actually tried!" She sounded exasperated as she stubbornly argued. She almost never lost and when she did she was too pigheaded to let it go.

Katniss looked between the two of them for a few seconds before mumbling, "Well at least you're not bitter…" She looked up and grinned at Finnick.

Finnick threw his head back and laughed loud enough for the entire dining hall to hear. Johanna lunged across the table and punched him square in the shoulder before folding her arms in front of her and grumbling, "Having fun now? Are we done making fun of me?"

Katniss teasingly leaned against Johanna's shoulder and laughed, "Oh come on Jo, I'm just messing around, you know I love you."

Finnick smirked at the two of them and pushed his tray away from him. Katniss noticed the gleam in Finnick's eyes as he watched the pair of them. She felt her face flush and pulled away from Johanna's shoulder before averting her eyes to her tray. The table fell into silence for a few minutes before Katniss asked, "So how was your day, Fin?"

He chuckled and wiped the corner of his mouth before replying, "Fine I suppose…though it's much better since the happy couple decided to have dinner with me tonight."

Johanna's eyes narrowed as she stared at Finnick. He smirked with amusement as Katniss froze with her fork hovering over her plate. Katniss's eyes never left her plate as she swallowed her last bite. Finnick risked a glance at Johanna and thanked his lucky stars that axes weren't permitted out of the weapon facility. The table fell into awkward silence for a few moments before Finnick mumbled, "I was only joking, you know." Katniss kept her eyes glued to her tray and Johanna almost unperceptively shook her head before smirking at Finnick. Her eyes turned playful as she mouthed, "You fucker."

Finnick snorted into his water glass and tried his best to suppress his laughter. He wiped his mouth before continuing, "It was a joke…of course everyone knows that you and Gale are a couple…"

Katniss's voice went up an octave as she defensively snapped, "Gale and I are _not_ a couple!" She continued to glare at Finnick.

He instantly faked a look of shock and replied, "Oh, well my mistake then."

"Yeah, your fucking mistake. It seems to be everyone's fucking mistake lately," Katniss stated, "We're not like that. Gale is—I don't know—he's like my brother." She stabbed her food rather aggressively and glared between Finnick and Johanna who both had turned to face her. Finnick's eyes flicked to Johanna so quickly that Katniss couldn't even be sure that he had looked away. Johanna looked down to her plate and mumbled, "Well _we_ know that Katniss, does he?"

Katniss's eyebrows came together as she replied, "Why wouldn't he? We've been friends for as long as I can remember. He knows it's not like that for me."

Finnick began to move his food around his plate with his fork and said quietly, "Well he's certainly making it seem like you two are a couple."

Katniss shot her eyes to Finnick before asking, "Excuse me?" through her gritted teeth.

Finnick now looked uncomfortable and shifted slightly in his chair. He rubbed his hand along his jaw and brought his voice even quieter than before as he replied, "Well there's been…talk lately. He's been telling people that it's only a matter of time for you two." Finnick took a deep breath and looked around before whispering, "He said he's giving you time to grieve for Peeta and once you were better you'd come to your senses and come back to him."

Johanna brought her head up suddenly and looked at Finnick. She had always known about the rumors that Gale still had feelings for Katniss, but she didn't know that he would be so brazen to tell people that it was only a matter of time for them. She glanced over at Katniss who was now visibly glowing with anger. Her cheeks were flushed and her teeth remained clenched as she pushed her chair back and scooped her tray off the table. Johanna and Finnick both moved to stand up when Katniss snapped, "You two stay. I have to go." She angrily brushed her hair behind her ear, turned on her heel, and strode away from the table.

Johanna watched Katniss walk out of the dining hall and then turned to face Finnick who wore a matching look of concern. "Well fuck," he sighed.

"Seriously, Fin?" Johanna snapped, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I didn't know she would get so upset! I was joking…we all were joking around!" Finnick argued.

"Well you're a fucking idiot if you honestly thought she wouldn't get upset."

"How the hell was I supposed to know?" Finnick protested.

Johanna scoffed, "Oh I don't know, by using your goddamn common sense?" She abruptly snatched her tray off the table and moved to stand up as she said, "Honestly Fin…" Her voice trailed off for a few moments before she continued, "She's probably going to go confront Gale now and she's going get even more pissed and _I'm_ the one who's going to have to deal with her when she comes back raving like a fucking lunatic." Johanna slammed her chair into the table and turned away from Finnick. She had almost reached the threshold when she heard Finnick bellow, "Are you mad at me or are you mad at the fact that she still thinks about him?" Johanna froze in her tracks and whipped her head in his direction. She could feel her anger radiating as she stormed out of the dining hall.

Once she was able to clear her head she realized there was nowhere else for her to go except her room. She threw the door open and found herself in an empty room. Johanna reached under the mattress and grabbed the small knife she kept hidden. She gripped it tightly in her hand as she hurled a throw pillow to the floor. Kneeling down, she began to repeatedly stab the pillow, growling obscenities into the empty room with each swing of her knife. Feathers began to drift around her as her movements gradually became less violent. She slumped against the wall and let the small blade fall from her hand. Johanna rubbed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets as she tried to erase the emotions filling her head. She felt the tears welling in her eyes when she realized that she hopelessly cared far too much for the girl on fire.

. . . .


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you everyone for your excellent feedback! And also thank you for being patient with me, I wanted to slowly build the storyline and focus on the character development as I had imagined. I was hoping to write and create a genuine relationship story rather than a one-shot smut piece. Thank you for reading, and I hope you all had a lovely holiday! -TMF

. . . .

Katniss stormed out of the dining hall still shaking with anger. She mentally cursed Gale for spreading even more rumors about her. She raced through the halls until she came to the main control room. Gale was bent over a machine on the far side of the room, focusing intently on the screen in front of him. Katniss cleared her throat pointedly as she strode into the center of the room. He noticed her out of the corner of his eye and a surprised smile spread across his face as he said, "Catnip…"

Without hesitating a moment, she struck the side of his face hard with her open palm. He recoiled instantly and crushed her wrist in his hand as he yelled, "What the hell was that for?" Her face was contorted in anger as she spit out, "We are _not_ a couple."

A precarious look of fear flooded Gale's eyes as he realized what she was talking about. His ears faded to a bright pink before he swallowed heavily and asked, "Who'd you talk to?"

Katniss shook her head furiously and snapped, "It doesn't matter who the hell I talked to."

"In my defense—" he started.

"No, fuck you, don't even get me started," she interrupted. Katniss took a controlled breath before adding, "How could you lie to everyone like that? Why would you bring me into your twisted bullshit—"

"It's not bullshit, Katniss!" Gale countered. Katniss glared at him in bewilderment and opened her mouth to argue when Gale continued, "It's not bullshit and you know it Katniss. You and Peeta were together to save your necks in the games and to keep Snow happy! But it was always supposed to be you and me, Catnip. You know that!"

Katniss's jaw dropped slightly as Gale uttered, "If we were still in 12, you and me would end up together. It was always you and me until Peeta came into the picture…with him gone it's—" his voice trailed into silence as he looked up at Katniss.

She shook her head and explained, "That's how it used to be, Gale…don't you see that? There is no 12, there are no games…" She took a breath and gathered her thoughts before saying, "Too much has happened in the past few months…I'm—I'm not the same person anymore."

Gale shook his head and argued, "Of course you're still the same person, Catnip."

"For fuck's sake, Gale, would you quit calling me that?" she barked. He looked hurt as she said, "Before the games and all the fucked up shit with the capitol, I thought I was strong. I didn't realize how weak I was until I had no choice but to get stronger." She lost her train of thought momentarily and shook her head in confusion.

"I can take care of you, I could protect you!" Gale argued.

"I don't need someone to take care of me! I see the way you all look at me since the Quarter Quell! Everyone treats me like a goddamn kicked puppy and I'm sick of it. Don't patronize me," Katniss exclaimed. She realized she couldn't look him in the eyes; he looked too raw and gentle. "I don't want someone to take care of me…I can take care of myself." She watched Gale for several long moments before he finally spoke.

"I still love you."

She grimaced slightly before replying, "Too much has changed…I—I don't love you."

His face glazed over with disappointment before he asked, "Is there someone else?"

Katniss thought carefully for a few seconds before she realized what it was that she really wanted. She never wanted someone to take care of her; she needed someone to be real with her, someone to call her out on her own bullshit and drama and make her face reality. She needed a person that could make her feel strong and independent rather than soft and childish. Gale looked at her with pleading eyes as she wheeled around and walked out of the room.

Katniss hadn't realized until moments before that there was one person who had made her feel stronger and more empowered in the past few weeks than she had ever felt before in her life; someone who was able to comfort her without patronizing her, and someone who was able to make her feel at home even in a foreign place.

Johanna heard a fist ardently pounding on the door. She threw the last remnants of the throw pillow into the trashcan and scooped the knife off the floor before wriggling it back under the mattress. The thudding at the door grew louder. "Oh for fuck's sake, I'm getting there!" Johanna yelled. She strode over and unhinged the chain before pulling the door open. Katniss almost knocked her over as she charged into the room. Johanna hurriedly backed into the wall in an effort to get out of the way. Katniss pushed the door closed behind her and slid the lock into place before taking three giant steps to close the distance between them. Johanna noticed the slightly wild look in her eyes before spluttering, "What the h—"

Katniss grabbed Johanna's face roughly in her hands and crushed her lips to Johanna's, interrupting whatever thought Johanna had tried to say. Johanna felt Katniss's body press against hers, solidly pinning her to the wall. Her head was swimming as she felt Katniss's hand scratch softly at the nape of her neck. She responded enthusiastically and brought her hands up to tangle in Katniss's messy curls. Chills raced down her spine as Katniss gasped for air against her mouth, her hands still straining to pull Johanna even closer. Katniss's mouth frantically moved along her jaw, kissing every inch of skin from her chin to her ear. Johanna felt Katniss's teeth graze her earlobe as she heard Katniss whisper, "Johanna." Johanna's head was still spinning when Katniss brought her lips back to Johanna's. Questions raced through her head for several seconds before she struggled to pull away and ask, "Katniss?"

Katniss's mouth continued to roam down Johanna's neck, paying no attention to the fact that Johanna was talking to her. Johanna grabbed Katniss's face in her hands and brought her face back to her own before sighing, "Katniss?"

Katniss kissed Johanna once more before absentmindedly mumbling, "Hmm?" against her lips. "Katniss…" Johanna's voice trailed off as she struggled to find the words to ask any of the million questions running through her mind. She shook her head slightly and urgently pulled Katniss's mouth back to hers. Katniss's hands trailed down Johanna's shoulders and grasped at Johanna's waist, pulling her flush against her body. This time it was Johanna that pulled away, gasping for air. She ran her fingers through Katniss's long brown hair and whispered, "Say something."

Distractedly, Katniss's lips grabbed at the skin of Johanna's neck. It took Johanna every ounce of strength not to groan as she tilted her head to give Katniss better access. She pleaded one last time, "Katniss, _say something_."

Katniss's kiss grew softer against Johanna's throat and she slowly dragged her lips across the delicate curve of her jaw. Johanna felt Katniss's hands meander up her sides and over her shoulders before gently grabbing either side of face. Katniss brought her face back up and looked Johanna directly in the eyes before she whispered, "I love you."

. . . .


	9. Chapter 9

"_I love you."_

Johanna bit her lip as her mouth spread into an instant smile. With baited breath, Katniss watched Johanna closely, waiting for a reaction. As her eyes poured over Johanna's face, Katniss suddenly felt shy and vulnerable. The most powerful three little words had fallen out of her mouth effortlessly and she hadn't given a single thought to Johanna's reaction until it was too late. She held her breath as she felt Johanna's hands drift to her waist to pull her even closer. Relentlessly, Johanna stared into her eyes before saying, "It's about time you caught on," and gently pressing her lips to Katniss's.

Katniss felt her heart pound as she met Johanna's lips eagerly. Her hands swiftly wandered over Johanna's shoulders to the small of her back where she loosely clasped her hands together, trapping Johanna in her arms. The kiss intensified as Johanna realized she was completely surrounded. Katniss was everywhere and everything she could feel. She arched her back slightly and reached her hands behind her, capturing Katniss's wrists in her grasp. Still frantically kissing her, Johanna craned her neck and pushed forward, sending both of them stumbling into the adjacent wall. She kept Katniss's hands in her hold as she brought them up over their entwined bodies, effectively pinning Katniss to the wall. Katniss felt a groan escape from the back of her throat before she could help herself. She inhaled sharply as Johanna kept one hand pinning her wrists to the wall and let the other hand trace down her side, just barely touching her. Katniss bit her lip to keep from smiling as she felt Johanna's fingers teasing their way down to her hips. Johanna pulled her lips away and looked down at their tangled legs against the wall. Short dark hairs fell in front of her eyes as her head turned down and Katniss strained forward. Johanna looked up sharply and tightened her grip on Katniss's squirming wrists. She leaned in slightly and paused, gauging her reaction. As Katniss leaned in to meet her lips, Johanna pulled back faintly, teasing her even further. Rolling her eyes, Katniss could tell Johanna was enjoying this game entirely too much. Playing along, she tried to move her lips closer. Again, Johanna pulled away with a wicked grin spreading over her face as she looked Katniss in the eyes. Katniss leaned forward a fraction of an inch and found Johanna frozen. She pushed forward until their lips barely brushed together. Johanna remained still. She dropped her gaze and whispered, "Don't make me beg," against Johanna's lips.

The enthusiasm in Johanna's kiss almost lifted Katniss off the ground. The hand that had kept Katniss's hands pinned to the wall came crashing down. Katniss felt both of Johanna's hands graze past her hips before reaching around to the backs of her thighs. In a fluid motion, Johanna swooped Katniss's legs from under her and turned towards the bed. Katniss tightly locked her legs around Johanna's waist and looped her arms around Johanna's neck, gluing their lips together as she felt the room spinning. Their breathing grew heavy as Johanna carried the two of them to the edge of the bed. Her shins bumped into the mattress before she leaned forward and set Katniss down on the edge of the bed. Afraid of falling backwards, Katniss's hands tangled in Johanna's short hair and she kept her legs wrapped around Johanna's hips. Johanna sighed almost inaudibly as Katniss's hands drifted down over her shoulder blades to the hem of her black tee-shirt. Without a moment of hesitation, Katniss grabbed the fabric in her fingers and pulled her hands up. Johanna gasped as she felt Katniss's hands gently yank her shirt over her head before tossing the discarded shirt to the floor. Katniss brought her hands back to Johanna's face and edged her way backwards into the center of the bed. Her lips moved impatiently against Johanna's while her hands tousled Johanna's dark messy hair. Johanna moved with her to the center of the bed, propping herself up on her hands and knees over Katniss. She leaned to the side and dragged her hand over Katniss's flat stomach, undoing the top button of her jeans. Katniss arched her back off the bed and let go of Johanna to help wriggle the jeans down her skinny legs.

They both paused to look at each other. Katniss's eyes drifted over Johanna's bare midriff as Johanna watched her face intently. After a few moments, Katniss pulled herself off the bed and rolled Johanna onto her back. Straddling her, Katniss quickly leaned down to Johanna's face and let her lips grab at the skin of Johanna's neck. She moved her mouth down to the base of Johanna's throat as she heard a desperate noise escape Johanna's lips. Katniss smiled against Johanna's neck and lightly bit the skin of her collarbone. Johanna arched her back off the bed, struggling to move closer to Katniss who was still raised above her. Katniss had never felt so empowered before, her skin blazed with heat as she clumsily moved her hands to Johanna's waistband. Johanna's arms were around her neck now as she tugged at the tiny zipper. She unbuttoned the top button and slid her fingertips into the waistband of Johanna's pants. Johanna pulled her arms away and quickly kicked the material to her ankles before letting them fall to the floor. Katniss lay down on her side as her hands wandered over Johanna's bare stomach to the delicate fabric at her hips. With a rush of desire, Johanna quickly flipped Katniss over. Her hands pulled Katniss's shirt off in a single fluid motion. Katniss's hands knotted in the hair at the base of Johanna's neck as she felt Johanna's hands slide her bra straps off her shoulders. Johanna leaned to kiss the hollows at the base of Katniss's neck and was pleased to hear the quiet sounds growing at the back of her throat. She slowly moved her lips down Katniss's chest, gently sucking at the skin of her abdomen. Katniss felt Johanna's hands clasp on either side of her hips and involuntarily took a shaky breath. Johanna's teeth grazed her hipbones while her fingers slid under the delicate fabric at Katniss's hips. Her lips grew more urgent as she felt Katniss's body shiver underneath her. She swirled her tongue in a circular pattern before carefully grabbing the slight fabric in between her teeth. Katniss's mind raced with indecision. She hadn't thought things completely through when she had burst through the door just a few minutes earlier. Katniss couldn't help but feel a surge of sheer panic at the effects that Johanna clearly had on her. Katniss's breath rasped in the back of her throat as she frantically reached for Johanna. She grabbed her chin before Johanna had the chance to slide the thin material down her legs. Johanna looked into Katniss's face with concern as she let Katniss pull her back up to the pillows. She could see the slightly panicked look in Katniss's wide eyes. Katniss had never been intimate with a girl before, this much she knew. Johanna nodded her head with understanding and smiled before she pushed her lips to Katniss's again.

Katniss sighed with relief as Johanna slowed down. At the back of her mind, Katniss knew that Johanna had been with other women before, which suddenly intimidated her. Up until this moment she hadn't had the chance to think clearly about what she was doing. Their shared touches and kisses had all seemed so natural to her. With Peeta she was constantly concerned with how to act and what to do, but with Johanna everything had felt simple. Her body fit with Johanna's in a way she had never realized. Johanna pulled away briefly and propped herself up on her elbow, admiring Katniss. She reached out a hand and thoughtfully brushed a few strands of hair behind Katniss's ear. Her hand lingered on Katniss's neck for a few moments before her mouth curled into a smile. Katniss rolled onto her side to face Johanna. She reached out a hand and dragged her fingertips down the side of Johanna's face, continuing down her arms to the curve of her waist. Goosebumps erupted underneath her fingers as she reached Johanna's navel. Johanna visibly shivered before she wiggled closer. Sitting up suddenly, Katniss reached for the blankets at the bottom of the bed. She carefully pulled them over the two of them as she settled back into place. Johanna's arms wrapped around her shoulders as Katniss tucked her head into the crook of Johanna's neck. Without a moment of hesitation, Katniss slid her arm around Johanna's waist, letting her hand fall onto the mattress behind her. Johanna lightly stroked Katniss's hair as she listened to the sounds of their breathing. After countless minutes, Johanna heard Katniss's muffled voice against her shoulder, "Are you mad we stopped?"

Johanna leaned back to look at Katniss's face as she replied, "Of course not, why would I be mad?" Her eyebrows drew together in concern as she waited for Katniss to explain.

Katniss failed to look her in the eyes as she mumbled, "Well I know you've been with other girls before and I just…" her voice trailed off. She was suddenly very interested in watching her own fingers which were now skating across Johanna's hipbones.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Johanna laughed softly before saying, "You make me sound like I'm some kind of womanizer or something." She felt goosebumps rise across her skin again as Katniss's fingers slipped over the skin at her waist. Nuzzling closer, Johanna muttered, "Other girls have nothing in comparison. It's only you, now…and believe me I'm fine with waiting." Katniss subtly sighed with relief as Johanna's arms tightened around her shoulders. She waited several seconds before Johanna slyly continued, "Although you are one hell of a tease."

Katniss pushed away in indignation as she huffed, "I am not a _tease_!"

Johanna laughed aloud now before playfully arguing, "Hell yes you are. Not just now but in general…admit it."

Pushing out her lower lip slightly, Katniss mumbled, "I'll do no such thing."

Inching closer, Johanna tipped Katniss's face up to look at her before apologizing, "Fine, you're not _that_ much of a tease…happy?" She brought her lips to the base of Katniss throat, gradually moving her way up to the curve of her jaw. Johanna let her tongue lightly drag across Katniss's skin as she zigzagged along her neck. She could hear Katniss's breathing hitch slightly as she skimmed her lips along the curve of her jaw. Almost painfully slow, Johanna's lips moved in miniscule increments to Katniss's mouth. She hesitated momentarily before Katniss leaned forward to meet her lips. Katniss cupped Johanna's face in her hands as she crushed her lips to Johanna's again. Struggling to catch her breath, Johanna pulled away first. She whispered, "Happy?" against Katniss's lips before closing the distance between them again.

Katniss felt a gentle groan rising in her throat as she allowed Johanna's hands to distractedly wander over the skin at her arms and waist. She kissed her back before mumbling, "And you say _I'm_ a tease…"

. . . .


End file.
